


Waiting On You Forever

by sonofdvrin



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Angst, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Slow Burn, there's a lot of focus on the oc as a head's up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26141851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonofdvrin/pseuds/sonofdvrin
Summary: Sadie Lewis is new to the sports world when she takes a job with the Avs. She’s lucky enough to meet a lot of amazing people - including Tyson Barrie. Despite falling fast and hard for each other, they never get the chance to be together before Tyson is traded to Toronto. And Sadie thinks that’s it, but life has a funny way of working out.
Relationships: Tyson Barrie/Original Character
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10
Collections: HockeyNetwork Gift Exchange Collection





	Waiting On You Forever

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as part of hockeynetwork's summer fic exchange over on tumblr for backcheckforecheckpaycheck! Decided to crosspost here since it's a bit longer than my normal imagines.

_ “And I’d choose you; in a hundred different lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you.” - Kiersten White _

The months leading up to Sadie’s graduation were much more stressful than she was ever expecting. Nobody had bothered to tell her about the mad dash of trying to apply to jobs to make sure that there was  _ something _ on the other side of finally finishing her degree. And, to be honest, it finally got to the point where she was applying to anything in her field, even if it was with an organization that she knew almost nothing about.

And that is how she ends up landing an interview with the Colorado Avalanche three weeks before graduation. Sadie is the first to admit that she knows very little about sports in general. She knows enough to get by in conversations and to be able to watch games in person and not feel completely lost, but that’s really the extent of her knowledge. But, honestly, a job is a job, especially when you’re graduating university with no other prospects.

Granted, Sadie is getting a bit ahead of herself since she just has an interview at the moment, but she still has a bit of foolish hope because she’s desperate at this point. If this doesn’t work out, she’s frankly giving up on finding anything within her field and the thought of going back into retail or the food industry isn’t a great thought. So, Sadie does her best to prep herself as much as possible in the days leading up to the interview.

“This is the most nervous I’ve seen you since an RA caught you drinking your freshman year,” Jamie snorts. “Seriously, we’ve been roommates for four years now and I’ve never seen you so intensely nervous about something before.”

“Look, this is a last ditch attempt for me. Like… what if they ask me a bunch of niche hockey questions to make sure I know what I’m talking about?” Sadie replies.

“Sadie, you’re applying to their social media team, not their analytics team. I don’t think they’re expecting you know everything,” Jamie points out. 

“Yeah, but I have to know enough to get by.”

Jamie snorts. “That’s what Google is for. I promise you’ll do just fine if you stop freaking yourself out so much. I know it’s easier said than done, but I have faith in you. Just remember it’s this or going back to being a server.”

“I hate how right you are,” Sadie groans. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. It’s going to  _ have _ to be fine.”

“That’s the attitude,” Jamie says, with a bright smile. “Now, what have you learned so far? Anything interesting?”

Sadie sighs, before going into the small amount of things that she’s managed to remember. Jamie patiently sits through her rambling, asking questions where appropriate. It doesn’t completely calm Sadie down, but it does help in figuring out what she still needs to do research on. 

* * *

The actual day of the interview seems to pass by in a blur. Sadie nervously paces around the apartment until Jamie kicks her out and tells her to just get there early. She takes her time driving to the office where the interview is, and then sits in her car trying to take deep breaths. There’s going to be other options if this doesn’t work out, and, while going back to retail work wouldn’t be ideal, at least she can stay in Denver with Jamie.

Sadie had never imagined wanting to stay in Denver after graduation, especially since it is far from home, but she loves the life she built here. And it’s not like Denver is a typical college town, there’s plenty of people who live here outside of the university. Besides, finding another roommate as good as Jamie would be near impossible, and, since they’re staying in Denver, Sadie decided she could stay here for a while longer.

Finally, it’s fifteen minutes before the interview starts, so Sadie makes her way into the building and waits for the secretary to call her back for her interview. Everything passes in such a blur that she barely remembers what happens. She gets to meet Danielle, who is the main coordinator for media relations, and it feels more intimidating than she was expecting.

Once the questions start happening, Sadie gets swept up and feels like all of her practicing went out the window. As far as Sadie can tell, everything seems to have gone well enough. Driving back to her apartment, Sadie feels like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders.

“So, how badly did it go?” Jamie inquires, noting that Sadie seems a bit out of it.

“It went… okay, I guess? I mean, I feel like I answered everything well enough, but I don’t think I’m going to get hired. I just… kind of panicked when Danielle started asking questions and it most definitely was not a good look,” Sadie sighs, flopping down on the couch. 

Jamie sits down next to Sadie, letting her curl up in their lap. When Jamie starts playing with her hair, Sadie lets out a big sigh and curls up into a ball. She knows that she should be hopeful about it, but she keeps replaying all the things she could have said better and thinking that’s why she won’t get the job.

“I know you’re nervous as hell, but give it a few days, okay? I’m sure you did good, you’re just overthinking it,” Jamie says softly. “If you don’t hear back, then you’ll have time to move on and find something else.”

“I know you’re right,” Sadie whispers. “I guess I’m just nervous because I know I’m going to have to find something else in the meantime. And I know lots of people don’t end up in their field right away, it’s just a little disheartening, I guess.”

“It’ll all work out, though. If you don’t get this job, at least you won’t have to try and remember a bunch of random hockey facts,” Jamie points out.

Sadie snorts. “That’s true. Man, I’ve been in Denver for four years and this job would be the reason I finally end up at a hockey game.”

“That would… definitely be something,” Jamie replies, trying not to laugh. 

They end up watching movies for the rest of the night, Jamie doing their best to distract Sadie from everything that day. It also serves as a nice break from trying to cram for their finals that are coming sooner than either of them want to recognize. A few days pass before Sadie hears from the Avs, and she just assumes that she didn’t get the job, which means it’s back on the retail grind, but at least she tried everything she could. 

It’s after a late night spent at the library spent studying that Sadie checks her email to see something from Danielle. Sadie has to reread it a few times, but the email says that she got the job. There’s something about it that just doesn’t quite click in her head and it doesn’t feel real, not after all of the panicking that went into preparing for the interview. 

“Jamie, I think I got the job,” Sadie whispers. 

Jamie grabs her phone, then looks at the email. “Holy shit, you did it, Sadie!”

Sadie is then wrapped into a tight hug, and she starts laughing, partly out of pure happiness and partly out of deliriousness. It doesn’t quite feel real, especially at this time of night, but it feels good knowing that she has a guaranteed job on the other side of graduation in a field that she really cares about, even if she’s not very familiar with the subject matter.

When Jamie lets go, they say, “So, looks like you are going to have to learn a thing or two about hockey now.”

Sadie snorts. “Yeah, I guess so. But I’m going to bed first.”

* * *

Everything seems to be moving fast once Sadie accepts the job offer. Finals pass by in a blur, and since she decided that walking at graduation wasn’t going to be worth it since everyone of importance to her was graduating with her, it didn’t feel real once she was finished with university. There’s still a couple of weeks before she officially starts work, so she feels like she’s in some type of limbo.

“Aren’t like… playoffs happening right now?” Jamie asks. “Maybe you can watch some games or something.”

“I suppose so. Sucks that they aren’t playing still though,” Sadie answers. “Missed those games since they were happening when we were cramming for finals. I guess I could always watch replays.”

Jamie shrugs. “Still doesn’t hurt. Besides, you’ll be spending a shit ton of time with the Avs now; I think you can learn more about the game on the job.”

So that’s what Sadie does, she watches games as much as she can manage, and tries to soak in as much information as she can. Sadie knows the basics, she has to, living in Denver and having the Avs around, but there’s small things she tries to pick up on. In all honesty, she’s not even sure how much of this she’s going to need to know since she’s joining the social media and marketing team, but too much knowledge can’t hurt her.

When her first day of work rolls around, Sadie is just a bunch of nerves. Jamie makes breakfast and coffee in hopes to try and help her, but there’s only so much that can calm down the first day of work nerves. She shows up thirty minutes early as well, unsure of what the commute would look like, especially with the possibility of getting lost.

“Good morning, Sadie, glad to see you made it here okay!” Danielle greets when Sadie walks into the office. “I’ll be helping you with some paperwork this morning, but then I’ll leave you with Cameron in the afternoon since you’ll be working with him most days.”

“Sounds good to me,” Sadie replies, trying to stay positive.

“Now, I wish I could show you the energy around here while we’re in the playoffs, but I’m sure you saw that we were knocked out in the first round. It’s a shame, but there’s always next year!” Danielle explains. “Things are pretty relaxed now, especially since most of the players have made their way home for the summer, so you won’t have to deal with them until the fall. Gives you plenty of time to settle in the groove without them distracting you.”

“Does that happen a lot?” Sadie inquires. “I feel like that wouldn’t happen a lot.”

Danielle shrugs. “Not a lot, but you’ll probably be interacting with the players a bit when we do promotional stuff, as well as any social media posts. You’ll probably be tagging along on those quite a bit.”

“Oh, uh, sounds good,” Sadie replies weakly. 

“I feel like you’re one of the first people I’ve met to not be wildly enthusiastic about that,” Danielle jokes. “I’m sure the guys will get a kick out of it nonetheless. Now, follow me to my office and we can get you started on all that exciting ‘first day’ paperwork. It shouldn’t take all that long, okay?”

Sadie nods and follows Danielle. “Um, I won’t have to be doing a lot of stuff with the players, right?”

“Not at first,” Danielle replies, giving Sadie a confused look before opening her office door.

Sadie sits down before explaining more. “It’s just, um, I’m really bad at remembering names and there’s a lot of them? And like… I followed the Avs but not to the point where I know everyone’s name?”

“Oh, that won’t be an issue,” Danielle replies, laughing a little. “I know it’s a lot to take in first, and if you do ever have to help out, you’ll be getting a briefing beforehand.”

“That’s good,” Sadie sighs.

They spend the rest of the morning doing HR paperwork before taking a short lunch. Sadie then meets Cameron, who starts to show her around the offices and rinks. She is completely overwhelmed, unsure of how to take it all in. There are so many places and people to remember, and thinking of trying to handle everyone once the players come back seems even worse.

“Don’t worry, you learn to take it all in eventually. You’ll be mostly sticking around your own office since it’s the summer, and someone will usually be with you if you’re leaving the immediate office area,” Cameron explains.

“I get my own office?” Sadie asks. “I didn’t realize I’d be getting my own space.”

“I mean, it’s not big by any means, but yeah, it’s your own little office. We can pick up the keys after a break, so you can start decorating tomorrow,” Cameron answers brightly. “Now, you can be honest, how much do you know about hockey?”

“As much as I need to, living here in Denver,” Sadie replies, smiling weakly. “I mean, I watched part of the playoffs this year if that helps.”

“I know it might seem like you need to know everything, but leave that for the analysts,” Cameron says. “It’s good to keep up with everything enough to know what everyone is talking about, but we don’t need you to be an expert. And if any of the players start talking about something you don’t get, just smile and nod. They won’t know the difference.”

Sadie snorts. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

The rest of the day passes easily and Sadie leaves feeling better than expected. She’s excited about the people she’s going to be working with and that she’ll have a chance to grow professionally. And it doesn’t hurt that she’ll be getting her own office either. Sure, there’s a lot she still has to learn first before being truly settled in, but today was a good start.

And so the rest of the summer passes in relative ease. Every day feels like a huge learning curve, but, by the end of August, Sadie feels at least somewhat confident in her daily duties. Most everything is geared towards drafting daily social media posts, but also learning how to engage with fans on a daily basis.

“So, players are going to start coming in soon,” Cameron says during lunch one day. “I know training camp officially starts on the 14th, but we usually have some players come in a bit earlier to ease themselves back into everything. Should be a good time to start meeting them.”

Sadie gives him a look. “Are you expecting me to just go up and introduce myself to them?”

“You could if you wanted to. Wouldn’t hurt to introduce yourself, especially if you’re going to be the social media person during any of the games,” Cameron points out. “But I’ll take you around if you want. I promise that they seem more intimidating before they start talking.”

“I hope you’re right,” Sade says. “I would seriously appreciate any help because I honestly still don’t have all of their names memorized. I would actually cry from embarrassment if I mixed any of the players up.”

“Sure, I’ll see what I can do. But I’m telling them that you keep snacks in your office that anyone can take,” Cameron threatens jokingly. “You’ll be seeing them all the time then.

Sadie sighs. “I guess if it helps, then I suppose I can live with that.”

Cameron just laughs and continues eating, leaving Sadie to think about actually meeting the players. She’s seen them enough on a computer screen that she shouldn’t feel nervous about seeing them all in person, but she still feels the nerves thrumming. Hopefully she doesn’t mess things up too badly when meeting them, but everyone in the office is insistent that everyone is chill for the most part, even if they seem rather intense.

* * *

“Okay, so, looks like we’re going to have Landeskog, Mackinnon, Johnson, and Barrie in to meet with the coach and training staff today,” Cameron says on a Monday morning.

“And?” Sadie replies. 

“And you’re going to meet them. We’re going to get some pictures of them and post on it on Twitter,” Cameron explains. “Kind of surprised Barrie showed up since I thought it was just going to be the captain and the alternates, but MacKinnon probably dragged him along.”

Sadie nods. “I’m assuming the rest of the team will be coming in later this week?”

“Yep, so it’s probably for the best that you’re meeting them now. They’re all pretty chill, even if they can seem weirdly intense being the captains and everything, so you can stop looking like you’re going to throw up.”

“I’m not going to throw up, Cameron, this is just kind of a big deal. If I mess this up, I could lose my job,” Sadie whispers intensely. “Like… I know who they are, but meeting them is a completely different deal. I can’t mess this up.”

Cameron rolls his eyes. “Look, I promise that this is going to be fine. We’re just going to be chilling in a room with them, snap a couple of pictures, introduce ourselves, and then leave.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“Because it is easy, Sadie. They’re used to this type of thing from us, so it’s not like we’re being creepy about all of it.”

“Right, of course,” she sighs before following Cameron into the meeting room.

“Oh, Cameron, wasn’t expecting you to bring a friend in,” Coach Bednar says. “Sadie, right?”

“Yeah, Sadie Lewis,” she replies, holding her hand out for a shake. “Good to see you again.”

“I’m assuming you haven’t met the guys yet?” he inquires, gesturing at the players.

“No, not yet, been in my office most of this morning,” Sadie replies.

“Which is probably one of the best offices here, if I do say so myself. She’s gotten quite the snack collection going, although you didn’t hear it from me,” Cameron jokes. “But seriously, you didn’t hear it from me.”

Bednar rolls his eyes. “I’ll just pretend like I didn’t hear that. Anyways, this is Gabriel, the captain, and Nate, Erik, and Tyson.”

“It’s good to meet all of you,” Sadie says, shaking all of their hands.

She just gets nods in return, but, in all honesty, she wasn’t sure what else she was expecting. After that, Bednar gets their attention again and starts talking about their upcoming season. There’s a lot that just goes over Sadie’s head, but she takes it all in and makes sure to get a couple of good pictures before heading back to the office.

“So, what did you think?” Cameron inquires. 

“Not bad, even if I didn’t understand most of it. The guys don’t seem too talkative, though,” Sadie answers.

Cameron snorts. “I promise that’ll change soon, especially if they come by your office enough. Nate is pretty quiet, but the other guys can talk your head off no problem.”

“Good to know,” Sadie replies, laughing.

The next few days are spent in a blur and Sadie hardly remembers anyone’s name. There’s so much to take in and try to keep up with that it feels like she’s starting her job all over again. Cameron assures her that it’s all going to get better once the season starts in October. Even with those assurances, it still feels overwhelming. A week before the season starts, Tyson Barrie swings by Sadie’s office with a bright smile.

“Hey, just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing. Haven’t seen you around much,” he comments, leaning on the door frame.

“I’ve been working on stuff for twitter and instagram so that we have stuff ready for the beginning of the season,” Sadie explains. “Not much time to hang out.”

“That’s a shame,” Tyson says. “Do you happen to still have any snacks around? I know that I’ve overheard some of the other people on the media team talk about it.”

“Yeah, come on in and pick what you want,” Sadie replies, opening the snack drawers. 

Tyson makes his way in and eyes the drawers full of chips and candy. Sadie knows that she didn’t have to have so many snacks on hand, but she figures it's a nice enough touch and it’s too late to do anything less, especially with the reputation she’s built up. Besides, she could afford this type of thing now, even with her student loans.

“I… was not expecting this much,” Tyson remarks.

Sadie shrugs. “Figured it was a nice thing to do. Is there stuff here you like or am I going to have to buy you something else?”

Tyson blushes. “Oh, you wouldn’t have to buy me anything different. I’ll take some Reese’s if you don’t mind.”

“If I minded, they wouldn’t be in my snack drawer,” Sadie points out.

“That’s… a good point. Well, I’ll grab them and get out of your way. I didn’t mean to distract you.”

“You’re fine, I promise. I should be taking a break soon anyways.”

“Barrie, I love you, but you’re blocking my access to snacks,” Cameron says, making his way into Sadie’s office. “Did you take the last bag of spicy Cheetos?”

“Cameron, you know I wouldn’t let anyone touch those,” Sadie sighs.

“Oh, so you would say no to one of the Avs star players?” Cameron jokes, causing Tyson and Sadie to snort.

“I’m more scared of you than him to be honest,” Sadie replies. “Cameron is honestly terrifying when he hasn’t eaten in a while. Part of the reason why I started keeping snacks around.”

Cameron rolls his eyes. “Don’t believe everything she says.”

Tyson lets out a small laugh. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Well, I’ll get out of your hair now that I have my snacks,” Cameron says, leaving Sadie’s office.

Sadie just rolls her eyes. “Anyways, you said Reese’s right? Here you go.”

“Thanks,” Tyson replies softly, taking the candy. “So, uh, I’ll see you around?”

“Yeah, I should be around some of the games next week.”

Tyson winks. “I’ll keep an eye out for you then. But I should really let you go, so I’ll see you around, Sadie.”

“Bye,” she says, a faint blush on her cheeks.

Only a few moments later, Cameron is back in her office, giving Sadie a very direct look. She sighs, rolling her eyes and leaning back in her chair. He just raises his eyebrows in response, obviously asking what just happened.

“He just remembered that you said that I had snacks in my office,” Sadie explains. “That was literally it.”

“Hm, I’m sure it was. Tyson never told me that he’d keep an eye out for me at games before,” Cameron laughs. 

“Oh my god, you’re actually the worst,” Sadie groans. “Nothing even happened, I swear.”

“That’s a shame, but I’ll be sure to include you in any media stuff Barrie gets up to this year,” Cameron says.

“You wouldn’t  _ dare _ ,” she gasps. 

He laughs. “Look, we all have players that we like working with and getting to be on more friendly terms. That usually makes for a better media experience on our end anyways.”

“Fine, I guess I can live with it,” she sighs dramatically.

As the season starts to get into full swing, Sadie finds herself spending more time with the players than she had ever anticipated. Granted, it still wasn’t much, but considering she expected to be working mostly in her office, it’s a lot to take in. But it does mean she gets to spend more time getting to know the players and game night staff.

“God, who would have figured that you would be spending your Friday night at a fucking hockey game,” Jamie jokes one night. “Are you hoping to catch Barrie there?”

“Oh my god, why do you keep teasing me about him?” Sadie groans.

“He’s like the only player who consistently comes to your office for snacks,” Jamie points out. “Like I know the other guys stop by on occasion, but he’s there like… all the time.”

“It’s seriously nothing, Jamie. He stops by to say hi to Cameron, too.”

Jamie snorts. “Yeah, he says hi to Cameron because his office is next to yours and I’m pretty sure he comes by to see  _ you _ .”

“I promise that you’re wrong. It’s nothing.”

“I never said it was anything,” Jamie replies with a smirk.

Sadie rolls her eyes. “Please remind me why I decided to keep living with you because I’m starting to not get it.”

“Just say hi for me, okay?”

“Yeah, of course,” Sadie says with a small smile.

It’s not like Jamie is wrong, Tyson has been stopping by quite a bit more than other players, but even then it’s not that frequent. Sadie sees him maybe once a week if there aren’t too many away games; he usually just picks up a snack and then leaves. As much as Jamie likes to tease, there really isn’t a friendship there for Sadie to speak of. Not that she would complain if they were friends, but she still hardly knows anything about Tyson.

Once Sadie gets to the arena, she sits in her usual seat up in one of the boxes to take pictures of the game from a high vantage point and tweet out game updates. Cameron and a couple other people are usually the ones down on the floor talking to the guys and running that aspect of the media. Even with a few months of season games under her belt, Sadie still feels completely overwhelmed by trying to keep up with everything that happens.

At the very least, it makes the games go by quickly, and, before she knows it, Sadie is heading down to the locker room to help with post-game media. When she meets up with Cameron, she’s mostly hashing out things to post throughout the day tomorrow in relation to the game. Sadie hardly notices when Tyson comes up and is patiently waiting for her to finish talking.

“Oh, hey, do you need something?” Sadie asks, confused. “Is the media being weird again?”

“No, uh, I was actually coming over to see if you wanted to come out to drinks with some of the guys,” Tyson says, smiling a little. “Um, Cameron, you’re obviously invited to.”

“Oh, uh, we would love to but uh, I’m not sure if we’re allowed to?” Cameron says with uncertainty, which is the first time Sadie has seen him so hesitant. 

Tyson blushes. “I didn’t even think of that. Um, maybe next time then?”

“Yeah, next time would be good,” Sadie replies.

Tyson then awkwardly walks off, leaving Cameron and Sadie by the entrance of the locker room. There’s a few beats of silence before anything is said.

“Are we actually not supposed to hang out with them outside of work?” Sadie inquires. “I’ve never actually thought about it before.”

“I really don’t have any idea because it’s never come up before,” Cameron answers, awkwardly. “I mean, I’m sure that it’s fine, but I also don’t want to get in trouble with Danielle? Because I love her but she can be really intimidating when she’s disappointed.”

Sadie sighs. “Makes sense.”

“We can still go get drinks if you want? Unless you had other plants.”

“No, I was honestly just planning on watching a couple movies with Jamie and then passing out. Was never really that big on the drinking scene if I’m being honest.”

Cameron snorts. “That actually sounds nice.”

“Jamie wouldn’t mind if you wanted to join. They’re pretty chill about having people over.”

“Well, I guess that’s settled then.”

After that, it becomes somewhat of a tradition for Cameron to come over after game nights to watch movies with Jamie and Sadie. Tyson never bothered asking for Sadie to come for drinks after that, and it never occurred to her that he would actually want to hang out. She figured that the only reason he asked was because she’s new; nothing more, nothing less. It was a little bit disappointing, but Sadie just brushed it off, especially since he still comes by her office on occasion.

“I honestly don’t get why you’re so into sports movies if you hardly even watch sports in real life,” Cameron says one day during a lunch break. 

“It’s because they’re heartwarming. Like, they just make me feel all warm on the inside,” Sadie explains. “I don’t know, maybe it’s just the fact that they make life look a bit better. And it helped my mediocre knowledge enough to get by.”

Cameron laughs. “I will never get you. But looks like you’re on your own for this one if neither Jamie or I want to watch it.”

“I feel like at least you would want to watch it since you work for the Avs,” Sadie says with a small frown.

“I’m surrounded by sports all day, I don’t need it at home too.”

Sadie sighs. “Point taken, I suppose.”

“Oh, there you are,” Tyson says, walking into the break room. “Um, looks like you’re busy, so I’ll let you go.”

“Did you need something? If it won’t take long, we can help,” Cameron replies.

“I was just wondering where Sadie was because I was going to grab a snack. But that’s not worth stopping your lunch for,” Tyson explains. 

“Don’t worry, it won’t take too long, I don’t mind,” Sadie says. “Let me just grab my things and we can walk on over to my office.”

“Seriously, it’s not that big of a deal,” Tyson insists. 

Sadie rolls her eyes. “I have to keep my reputation somehow. I promise it’s not a big deal.”

“Maybe you can listen to her talk about wanting to watch Miracle for the first time instead,” Cameron snorts. “I’m assuming you watch sports movies.”

Tyson smiles a little. “That won’t be an issue at all.”

Sadie just sighs and leads Tyson to her office. Once she gets the door unlocked and everything set down, she opens her candy drawer, letting Tyson rummage through and pick out what he wants. She’s started to pick up on what he likes, so she’s made sure to buy things that she knows will keep bringing him back. Sadie knows that it’s probably dumb, but if he keeps coming back, it just makes sense.

“So, you haven’t seen Miracle yet?” Tyson asks.

“Uh, no, I never really watched any hockey movies before. I mean, I enjoy sports movies, but I was never drawn to those since I never watched it much in real life,” Sadie explains. “But I figure now is as good a time as any to watch it.”

“Cameron didn’t seem too enthused about it. Are you forcing him to watch it?”

“Jamie wouldn’t be interested either, so I’ll probably be watching it during my own free time.”

“Don’t you like watching movies with other people?”

Sadie laughs. “You remember that?”

“I mean, I remember you mentioning it once or twice,” Tyson replies, blushing. “We could watch it together? I mean, we wouldn’t have to tell Cameron or anyone if it would be unprofessional.”

“That would actually be really nice,” Sadie says. “I mean, I’m sure it’s not that big of a deal. Besides, Cameron wouldn’t say anything if we’re not supposed to. And I’m really shitty at keeping things from him anyways.”

“Well, I guess that’s settled then. Could I actually get your number so that I can text you when I’m free?”

“Yeah of course.”

And with that, Sadie has Tyson Barrie’s phone number and a potential hang out date in the future. It makes her feel kind of weird, but she figures that everything is fine. It’s just them watching a movie together, something that friends do together all the time. There’s something odd about the thought that her and Tyson could be friends, but thinking about it still makes her smile.

“You’re awfully happy about something,” Jamie says once Sadie gets home, smirking a little. “Did something exciting happen at work?”

“I mean… maybe? Tyson and I are going to be hanging out soon since you and Cameron refuse to watch Miracle with me,” Sadie explains.

“Oh, you’re having a movie date with Tyson? That’s exciting!”

“It’s not a date, we’re just hanging out. It’s nothing.”

“If you say so,” Jamie sighs. “But I expect you to keep me updated if anything does happen.”

“When have I not told you about someone I’m interested in? You know I’m the worst about keeping all of that secret.”

Jamie laughs. “That’s true, you’ve never been able to keep a secret, but I’m glad you found someone who’s willing to watch your sports movies with.”

“It’s just one movie, Jamie.”

“I mean, unless everything goes terribly, you’re probably going to watch more.”

“I really don’t think so,” Sadie says, scrunching her nose. “I mean, it’s one thing to hang out with someone at work and then seeing them outside of that. It could be totally awkward.”

“Whatever you say,” Jamie replies, rolling their eyes. “But don’t be surprised when he ends up liking being around you.”

Sadie laughs. “I’ll keep you updated then.”

* * *

It’s a couple of weeks before Sadie and Tyson are hanging out at his house, and the whole time she overthinks what she should bring. Logically, she knows that they’re just watching a movie, but it feels rude to show up empty-handed. Eventually, Jamie convinces her to just bring some beer over because it’s a safe enough option. Sadie has a brief moment of panic of what kind to bring, but Jamie calms her down again by telling her that it probably do esn’t matter too much. So, that’s how Sadie finds herself knocking on Tyson’s door with a six pack of beer.

“You didn’t have to bring anything,” Tyson says as he lets Sadie in. “I just figured we were gonna watch a couple movies and then have dinner.”

“It felt weird showing up with nothing, but I wasn’t sure what else to get,” Sadie explains, slightly embarrassed. “I hope this is fine.”

“This is more than fine. I can take it,” Tyson says, grabbing the beer and setting it in the fridge. “Do you want popcorn or anything?”

“I mean if you have it, I won’t say no.”

“Awesome, I already have the movie set up, so you can get settled and start it whenever you’re ready.”

“Don’t you want me to wait for you?” Sadie inquires. “I don’t mind waiting.”

“I’ve seen Miracle a million times, I can miss the beginning,” Tyson answers with a small smile.

Sadie shrugs and heads into the living room. Logically, she knows that Tyson has money, but when she sees how big the room is, it really sets in for her. It feels like it’s at least half the size of the apartment she shares with Jamie. Granted, it’s not like their apartment is that big or anything, but it still feels weird. And the TV set-up is nothing like Sadie has seen before either, but at least she’ll be getting the full experience.

And when Sadie flops down on the couch, she’s definitely grateful for the extra money Tyson has. She swears that it’s comfier than her own bed. Just like he had promised, the movie is all ready to go, so she grabs the remote and hits play. It starts off like any other underdog sports movie, but Sadie can feel herself getting way too invested.

Tyson smiles softly when he comes into the living room with a bowl of popcorn. Sadie is totally engrossed in the movie and hardly notices him when he sits down next to her. And so for the next couple of hours, the two sit there, hardly talking. It feels like hardly any time has passed by the time the credits are rolling.

“So, what did you think?” Tyson asks as he takes the dvd out. “Did it live up to your expectations?”

“Yeah, not too bad. Most definitely will be watching it again,” Sadie answers. “Are you putting in another movie?”

“I did say we were watching a couple,” Tyson says. “I’m assuming you’ve never seen Mighty Ducks before?”

“You’d be right.”

“That’s good then since it’s next up on the list of hockey movies to watch.”

And with that, Tyson puts in the movie and time seems to pass just as quickly as with the first movie. Sadie enjoys herself more than she was expecting to, especially with the excitement Tyson had anytime he pointed out a fun fact about the movie. Before she knows it, the movie is over, and finds herself a little disappointed that this is drawing close to their evening together.

“Um, I know I mentioned dinner earlier, but you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. I know this is kind of a lot at first,” Tyson says awkwardly as he takes the movie out.

“I would actually love to stay a little bit longer if you don’t mind,” Sadie replies. “I’ve had a lot of fun today.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Tyson says faintly. “I probably shouldn’t order take out, but I won’t say anything if you don’t.”

Sadie smiles brightly. “I’m pretty good at keeping a secret when I need to.”

Tyson answers back with a smile, and goes to pull out some take out menus. They end up ordering from a place that won’t completely ruin Tyson’s meal plan, and talk over a couple of beers while they wait for the food to be delivered. Sadie gets Tyson talking about how he ended up playing hockey and how much he loves playing with the Avs. By the time the food arrives, Sadie feels tears running down her face from laughing so much.

“So, how did you end up working for the Avs? I mean, I feel like I kind of know the story, but not all of it,” Tyson inquires partway through their meal.

“I mean, I was just desperate for work in what I studied in school. I know media and marketing isn’t necessarily a huge, thriving business here, but I was hopeful. And like… I hardly knew anything about hockey, but I guess I faked it well enough to get the job,” Sadie explains. “I’m glad I got the job, though. I really enjoy everyone I work with.”

“I’m glad you started working here too,” Tyson replies softly.

Sadie blushes a little and looks away. “Yeah, it’s definitely not where I saw myself when I started college, but it’s still good.”

The rest of the evening passes casually, and Sadie feels the faintest feelings of a crush starting. She does her best to not think about it, but it’s hard not to when Tyson makes a dumb joke. By the time she leaves, she knows Jamie is going to pick up on it the second she gets back to the apartment. Not that Sadie wouldn’t say something anyways because she’s terrible at hiding things from Jamie.

Once Sadie gets back home, Jamie is grabbing a drink out of the fridge and just raises their eyebrow in question. She sighs, and goes to wait on the couch for Jamie. Once they sit down on the coach, beer in hand, Sadie starts talking. 

“Nothing really happened, we just watched movies and had dinner,” Sadie sighs. “Like, it wasn’t even anything exciting. But he just got really excited about random things and it was really cute? Just his smile every time was adorable.”

Jamie snorts. “You’re already so gone.”

“No I’m not,” Sadie says, frowning. “I might have a small crush, but that’s it. I swear it’s nothing more than that.”

“But we both know how you work. Once you have a small crush, it turns into a big crush, which ends up with you falling head over heels in love with them. It doesn’t happen often, but it happened enough in college for me to know where this is headed,” Jamie replies, smirking. “I have to meet him now, you do realize that, right?”

Sadie groans. “Can’t we wait until this is like… a big crush thing before that happens?”

“Oh, so give it another two weeks then? I guess that isn’t too bad.”

“ _ Jamie _ ,” Sadie gasps. “I’m not that bad, am I?”

Jamie laughs. “Yes, you are that bad. Don’t pretend to be shocked. And if Tyson has any sense about him, I’m sure he’s already got a bit of a crush on you as well. I mean, why else would he watch not one, but  _ two _ hockey movies with you?”

“I don’t even know if it would be professional for us to date, though,” Sadie points out. “I mean, there’s nothing against it, but something about it just feels… not right. And I mean, Cameron already turned down drinks once. I know that this is probably overthinking it, but… there could be a lot wrong with this.”

“Look, if anything happens, just keep it on the down low and feel things out from there. You have the time to figure things out. And I know I’ve been teasing you, but you just had one movie night. There’s no need to freak out quite yet,” Jamie explains. “Whatever happens will happen and we’ll figure it out when we get there.”

“Right, of course,” Sadie says quietly.

‘Whatever happens’ turns out to be more movie nights that turn into just Tyson and Sadie hanging out. All of it only makes her crush on him grow bigger, but she keeps it hidden, scared of any consequences that might happen. There’s moments where she feels like Tyson might feel the same way about her, but she doesn’t want to break up the friendship they’ve built over the last few months. Eventually, she caves and says something to Cameron, not able to keep it between just her and Jamie.

“Is this like… too unprofessional?” Sadie inquires, after explaining everything over lunch. “Like I love being around him, but I also don’t want to lose my job.”

“I’m… actually not sure,” Cameron answers. “But I would honestly be careful, if I’m being honest. It’s crossing a weird boundary, and as much as I love Danielle, you know she runs a tight ship. Anything that might ruin the dynamic here that could be prevented… I would try and avoid.”

Sadie sighs. “I know you’re right, but I really like him.”

“I wish I had a better answer for you,” Cameron replies sadly. “Like… I’m sure it would be fine if things were really serious, but I don’t want to give you false hope.”

“I get it,” Sadie says softly. “But you think we’re okay staying friends? That wouldn’t be too much?”

Cameron shrugs. “I don’t see why not. As long as you don’t think it’ll mess up the workplace dynamic, it should be fine.”

And so from there on out, Sadie does her best to not think about her growing feelings for Tyson. As the months go on, they grow closer, and she starts to think he might feel the same way about her. But neither are quite brave enough to broach the topic, afraid to ruin their friendship. There’s moment’s where Sadie considers throwing it all out the window, but she knows that what she has going on is good, and so she keeps quiet.

All of that seems to go out the window one night with Tyson, though. They’re hanging out like usual, watching movies and eating dinner at his house. There’s a strange energy in the air, and Sadie feels like she knows what’s going to happen. It makes her feel on edge, even though it’s what she secretly wants.

Once the credits start rolling, Tyson speaks up. “So, um, tell me if this is out of pocket, but I was wondering if you might want to go on a date some time? It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or whatever, but… you feel the same way about me, don’t you?”

“I… Tyson, I would love to, but I don’t know if I can,” Sadie replies, voice breaking. “There’s a professional line that I don’t know if I can cross or not.”

Tyson’s face falls. “Oh, I didn’t even think about that. Are we allowed to be doing this right now?”

“I mean, yeah, I think this is fine. Cameron said it should be anyways,” Sadie explains.

“Cameron knows about this?” Tyson inquires nervously.

Sadie blushes. “Yeah, I mean, I tell him everything. But I also wasn’t sure if anything we were doing crossed a boundary, so I asked him. And he just told me to be careful.”

“Right, of course, that makes sense. We’re still good, though, right? Like things won’t be weird now?”

“No, of course not. You’re still one of my best friends here in Denver.”

Tyson smiles a little, but there’s a hint of sadness in it. “Well, that’s good then. Are you up for another movie then?”

Sadie nods, and Tyson pulls up something else on Netflix. And things don’t get too weird after that, but there’s a certain tension that wasn’t there before that makes things a little bit awkward. There’s something about knowing that Tyson likes her back that makes things harder to keep things friendly. But he respects that dating could cost her a job, especially being so new. 

“What’s going on with you?” Cameron asks one day. “You’ve been acting weird any time that Tyson comes by the office.”

“It’s just… he told me that he likes me,” Sadie whispers, trying to make sure none of their coworkers overhear. “And he asked me on a date. But I said no because I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to say yes.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised, but holy shit,” Cameron replies. “I mean, I feel like anyone can tell how much the two of you like each other. Are you going to be okay though?”

“I… I don’t know. I love being his friend, but it’s hard knowing that we could be together, but I’m holding us back.”

“I get why you feel that way, but it’s smart that you didn’t,” Cameron says. “It’s just… workplace relationships get messy, and with a player? I don’t know what would happen.”

“I know it was the right thing to do, but...it just feels weird.”

Cameron hums. “Maybe give it a little time. You’re still friends, right?”

Sadie nods in affirmation.

“Well, wait it out a little. It’s almost the playoffs and summer. If things still feel the same after all of that, I don’t see the harm in giving it a shot.”

“You think so?”

Cameron shrugs. “I don’t see why not. Feels kind of weird, but it would be smart.”

Sadie and Tyson continue to awkwardly dance around each other, not acknowledging their feelings for each other, but still hanging out whenever possible. Her feelings for Tyson don’t go anywhere, and if anything, it feels like they only get stronger. By the time the Avs lose the second round of playoffs, Sadie feels like the summer will be a piece of cake in the waiting game.

And then comes the trade with Toronto.

Tyson had never brought up the possibility of him being traded to Sadie, so when she sees it in all of the headlines, she can feel her heart drop. She has so many questions, unsure of what this all means. Of course she knows that it means that he’s going to a completely different country, but she doesn’t know what this means in terms of their friendship.

Which is probably a dumb thing to be worried about considering they haven’t even been hanging out for a full year. But there’s a small bit of her that just breaks at the news. They had been getting closer, despite squashing their romantic feelings for each other. And she can’t even imagine what the team must be feeling, knowing that he was an important part of the group. All of it feels like too much to take in.

When she comes into work that day, Cameron swings by her office, knowing that she’s going to be struggling with the trade. Cameron knows something is up when he sees her just staring at her computer screen blankly, not doing anything. He saw how much time they spent together while at work, along with keeping secret all of their movie nights. The only other person who had any idea what was going on is Jamie.

“Are you going to be okay?” he asks softly, concerned. “And have you had the chance to talk with him yet?”

“I haven’t said anything yet,” Sadie whispers. “I don’t know, it just doesn’t feel quite real, you know? Like...I feel like he’s still going to walk in here asking for candy or if I’d seen a dumb rom-com already. I’m sure it’s going to suck, but...I’ll be fine.”

“You loved him, though,” Cameron states. “And don’t try to deny it. I saw how the two of you looked at each other.”

Sadie laughs bitterly. “I think I was getting there. But it’ll be easier to get over it now that he’s not here.”

“Or maybe you can try dating each other now that he’s not playing for the Avs. I know it wouldn’t be convenient, but you could finally have your chance.”

“I… I don’t know. That would be a lot of work for something I don’t even know he wants. Like I know we had feelings for each other, but we would hardly see each other.”

“It’s just something to think about. And bring it up to him, maybe he would be okay with it. Just try and make the best out of this.”

“I’ll do my best,” Sadie replies, choking back her tears.

Cameron sighs a little, then brings her into a tight hug, where she just starts crying. In all honesty, Sadie doesn’t feel like she has any right to be as sad as she does. She’s lucky enough to be his friend, but that was it, even if there were feelings there. After a few minutes, she pulls back and tries to compose herself. 

“Just text him and see how he’s feeling. I imagine it’s a lot to take in right now,” Cameron suggests. “And I’ll come over for movie night because I’m sure you’re going to need it.”

“Thank you,” Sadie whispers. 

Once Cameron leaves, Sadie texts Tyson, asking him if he’s holding up okay and if he needs help with anything. She doesn’t receive a response right away, so she gets back to work. A couple of hours later, her phone buzzes with a reply from Tyson that just says he’s doing okay. Frowning, Sadie responds saying that she’s here to talk about anything.

Sighing, she gets back to work and doesn’t look at her phone for the rest of the day. When she looks at it again as she’s leaving the office, all she’s received is the heart emoji from him. It worries her, but she also doesn’t want to push him, knowing that he’ll reach out to her in his own time. What Cameron brought up weighs heavily in her mind, and she wants to talk it out as soon as possible.

It isn’t until after Cameron has left her and Jamie’s apartment that she gets a call from Tyson. She rushes into her room to take the call, wanting as much privacy as a cheap apartment can give her. Even if Sadie will end up telling Jamie everything that happens, she still wants the actual conversation to be a little bit private.

“Sorry I didn’t call earlier,” Tyson says softly. “And I’m sorry I didn’t say anything to you before. I just… wasn’t sure how to tell you.”

“No, don’t worry about me, Tyson. I’m sure this was a lot to take in. I mean, you’re going to fucking Toronto,” Sadie replies. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m going to miss everyone so much,” Tyson says, obviously holding back tears. “Denver is home, the Avs are the only NHL team I’ve ever played for. I know Toronto is a hockey city… but it’s not here.”

“I’m sure you’ll find your people. And I’ll support you however I can.”

Tyson laughs bitterly. “I wish we could have tried dating, even for just a little bit. I know why we couldn’t, but I kind of regret not taking the chance.”

“We could try now,” Sadie whispers hopefully. “I know the distance would be a lot and it would be hard to make things work, but we could try.”

Tyson sighs. “I don’t know if I could do that. It’s just… There's so much going on already, I don’t know if I could try doing long distance. Let me get settled in Toronto first, okay?”

“I… yeah, that makes sense. Of course,” Sadie says. “Just remember I’m here if you need anything, okay? I’m here for you, no matter what.”

“Thank you,” Tyson whispers. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

Tyson hangs up, and Sadie sighs, flopping back on her bed. Jamie knocks, and comes in, laying down next to her. They just lay there for a few minutes as Sadie processes the conversation. It makes sense that Tyson would want to get his life figured out first because there’s so much to do before even thinking about adding a new relationship into the mix. But there’s still something about it that hurts a little.

“So?” Jamie inquires. “How did it go?”

“We’re still friends, which is the important part, I guess.”

“Are you going to be okay with that?”

“I mean, it was never an option while he was here anyways, so I really have nothing to be disappointed over. It was never an option, so I shouldn’t be hurt over it not being an option now.”

“But it still hurts.”

Sadie chokes back a sob. “Yeah, it still hurts. And I know it shouldn’t because I’ve known this whole time it was never an option as long as I wanted to keep my job.”

“I’m sorry you never got the chance,” Jamie whispered. “But there’s always going to be someone else out there for you, I promise. It might be a while, but you’ll find someone just as good.”

“I hope so,” Sadie sighs. “Do you still have ice cream?”

Jamie snorts. “Yeah, we do. I’ll get us some.”

Sadie smiles softly before following Jamie out to the kitchen. Things are going to be changing, but she’ll find a way to work through it, no matter how hard it ends up being.

* * *

As the summer goes on, and moves into the preseason, Sadie starts to feel the immense loss of Tyson. It’s weird not seeing him among his teammates at practice, and to have him not coming to her office for snacks. She can tell the team is missing him a lot as well, so everything just feels a little bit off. 

“Is it like this after every trade?” Sadie asks Cameron one day. “Like… everything feels so strange now.”

“Not quite. I mean, it’s a bit weird at first, but it’s been a little while since the team has felt like this,” Cameron replies. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Yeah, it’ll be fine. There’s quite a few guys I should get to know anyway, so I’ll manage.”

“Well, maybe your snack drawer won’t have to be restocked all the time now,” Cameron jokes. 

Sadie snorts. “That’s true, unless one of the new guys ends up having a sweet tooth as well.”

Cameron shakes his head and laughs before heading back to his office. Sadie sighs and then focuses back in on her work. She and Tyson had kept in contact over the summer, but things have slowed down quite a bit now that the preseason is about to start. He has other things to focus on, namely trying to integrate with a new team. So, Sadie tries not to bug him too much knowing that he has things that are more important right now.

It’s hard, though, especially knowing what could have been. She tries to not be bitter about it, especially since it’s only been a couple of months. Real life isn’t a fairy tale where everything just magically works out. If she wants things to work out, then she’ll just have to be patient. But it’s hard to be when she feels like everything is slipping through her fingers.

For right now, though, she has other things to focus on. There’s new players to meet and get to know, and social media posts that need drafting. As much as she wants to focus on trying to keep her friendship with Tyson alive, it’s not something that can take priority over work. Now that Sadie has been with the Avs for over a year, she’s being entrusted with more work and she doesn’t want to appear too distracted.

Before Sadie knows it, the season has rolled around and her conversations with Tyson have become infrequent. She knows that long-distance friendships are hard to maintain, especially when there’s so much going on in real life, but there’s a small part of her that feels a bit bitter over it all. She brings this up to Jamie one evening after feeling a bit down about the whole thing.

“I guess I just expected us to magically keep in-touch, you know? Like he was one of my first friends here, so I felt like it would all just work out,” Sadie groans. “I knew it would be hard work, but… I don’t know.”

“I mean, you loved him, too. That must not be helping anything either. And to be honest, we both know that you wouldn’t have done well with a long-distance relationship. At least, not with how things were all up in the air when he left,” Jamie explains.

Sadie sighs. “Yeah, you’re right. It just feels like I’m letting myself down, even though I have no reason to feel that way.”

Jamie pulls her in for a tight hug. “I’m sorry you’re going through this. But you’ll be just fine.”

“I hope so,” Sadie whispers. “But the season is picking up and something tells me that this is going to be a good year.”

“It will be, I promise,” Jamie whispers back.

And Jamie ends up being right. She and Tyson end up barely speaking, only texting on holidays or to congratulate each other on a really good game. Sadie ends up feeling less hurt about it as the season goes on, especially as the Avs start to gain momentum, and get to the second round of playoffs. It’s hard to not get swept up into the excitement of it all.

As much as Sadie doesn’t want to admit it, life goes on. She and Tyson don’t even speak anymore, and she’s surprisingly not too sad over it. There’s a small part of her that wonders about the what-ifs and possibilities, but her life in Denver is good. Things are working out much better than she could have ever imagined back in university.

But then Jamie’s mom starts to get sick, and Sadie can tell that it’s really starting to wear them down. It’s hard to watch, especially knowing that there’s nothing she can do to help. When Jamie comes to tell her that she’ll be moving back to Seattle by the end of the summer, Sadie isn’t completely surprised, but still feels a bit blindsided. 

“Oh,” is all Sadie manages to say at first.

“It’s just… my mom isn’t getting better, and I want to be there for her, you know? I don’t want to leave Denver, but I know I’ll regret it if I don’t go back,” Jamie explains.

“God, no, I totally get it, Jamie; you have to pick family in situations like this. I could never hold it against you,” Sadie replies. “You know how much value I put on family and people close to you.”

“I just… everything has been going so well for you here. And I feel bad leaving you trying to find a new roommate because I know that’s never fun,” Jamie sighs.

“Look, you have to worry about your family. I can try and find someone to live with,” Sadie replies. “I know Cameron is moving in with his boyfriend, but maybe his roommates need someone else to live with them. Whatever happens next is meant to happen.”

“Okay,” Jamie says, frowning a little. “I’ll keep an eye out if anyone needs a place to live. I feel really bad doing this to you.”

“Don’t feel bad for doing what you need to do. I can take care of myself. And being with family is the most important thing right now.”

Jamie sighs and hugs her tightly. It’s a scary thought of living with someone other than Jamie after living together for so long, but Sadie knows it’ll all work out in the end. It’ll have to if she wants to keep living here in Denver. Which makes her start thinking about something she’s only briefly thought about before.

There’s a small part of Sadie that wants to move to Toronto. She knows it would probably be a dumb decision to move to a completly new city in a country she’s only briefly visited, but something about it is enticing. Even if she doesn’t talk to Tyson anymore, she feels like it could be exciting. And with Jamie moving back home, this could be the right time to take a leap of faith if there’s any jobs she could find. It would be a hassle with work visas, but she still has months to get that all worked out.

So, that’s how Sadie finds herself scouring the internet for social media and marketing positions in Toronto and the surrounding areas. Casually, she also looks at apartments, and then quickly switches to looking for people searching for roommates when she realizes how expensive Toronto is. And as she looks, she works on the visa situation, just in case things start to move fast.

In early June, a job listing for a social media manager position pops up for the Toronto Raptors. Basketball isn’t Sadie’s strong suit, but if her current job taught her anything, it’s that she can pick up a sport relatively quickly. And so she puts in an application and hopes for the best.

As it turns out, the best is getting a call for a phone interview only a few days later.

“Wait, you did  _ what _ ?” Jamie exclaims when Sadie tells her.

Sadie laughs awkwardly. “Well, I just did it just in case, you know? Like living here without you feels kind of weird. I stayed here because of you and now that you’re leaving, it doesn’t feel right staying. And I love everyone I work with, but… I don’t know if Denver is really  _ it _ , either.”

“If you’re sure then…” Jamie trails off.

“Look, I don’t even know if I’m going to get the job. It’s just a phone interview, and who knows how that’s even going to go.”

“Good lord, only you, Sadie,” Jamie laughs. “Well, I hope it works out for you. I think it would be good for you. A fresh start to everything going on.”

“Yeah, I hope so. It’s just… I feel like this is so drastic, especially since life here has been good. But I feel like if I have no reason to stay here, a fresh start might not be too bad.”

Jamie snorts. “A fresh start in a brand new country. Who would have thought.”

“There’s no guarantees yet, though.”

“I mean, you’ve been with the Avs for two years now, you’ve got some good experience under your belt. I think you’ll be just fine.”

“Fingers crossed,” Sadie whispers.

The interview ends up going so well that they offer to fly her out for an in-person interview in a week. Sadie sits there for a few minutes in complete disbelief, but she can feel the excitement running through her. Even if it might be jumping the gun, she starts seriously looking into places to live, as well as starting on the visa. It’s better to be prepared, just in case.

When she lands in Toronto the following weekend, Sadie can tell that she made the right decision applying to this job. She arrived a day early, so she takes the extra time to do a little bit of exploring around the city. As she starts to head back to her hotel with dinner in tow, she passes by Scotiabank Arena and is hit with a sense of longing.

It’s been a year since she’s talked to Tyson now, but there’s a small part of her that still misses him. She hear’s bits and pieces of how he’s doing from Nate and Gabe mostly, but she wonders what his life is like here. He never talked about it much, and she never pushed for information for fear of making things worse. There’s a small part of her that wishes she would have asked and done more for him. But it’s too late to fix things now.

The following day at the interview, Sadie feels confident in her abilities. Working with the Avs has given her so much valuable experience, especially when learning how to connect with fans. Even if she doesn’t get this job, this has boosted her self-esteem. By the end of the interview, Sadie feels like she has a solid shot. Even if she doesn’t want to bank on it too much, she leaves Toronto with an excitement she hasn’t felt in a while.

Two weeks later, Sadie gets the phone call that she got the job and that she’ll get all the appropriate paperwork later in the day. None of it quite feels real, especially since this is going to be such a huge change in her life. But it’ll be a good one, she just knows it.

“Oh my god, I’m so happy for you,” Jamie cries, hugging Sadie tightly. “This is exactly what you needed. And you’re going to absolutely thrive there, I just know it. You’ll have to keep me updated on everything.”

Sadie sobs. “Of course I will.”

Jamie pulls back a little, but still holds onto Sadie’s hands. “Now you have to kick yourself into gear. You have three weeks to get ready to move to another country.”

“I don’t even want to think about that,” Sadie laughs. “I just can’t believe I’m actually moving to another fucking country. Like this is a thing that I’m actually doing. Oh god, I have to make new friends, Jamie. How am I going to do that?”

“Same way you became my friend, by never shutting up about all of your nerdy shit,” Jamie jokes. “But I know you’ll find your people up there. Just don’t forget about me, okay?”

“We didn’t go through four years of university together, and then two years after graduation trying to figure our lives out for me to just forget you,” Sadie whispers. “You’re my best friend and being in different countries won’t change a thing.”

Jamie smiles softly before bringing Sadie in for another hug. That night ends up being the last moment of true peace Sadie feels for the next few weeks. Trying to pack up her whole life on top of figuring out how to move everything to another country, on top of getting her work visa sorted feels like a nightmare. 

As Sadie is finishing up her last day of work, Cameron comes into the office, smiling sadly. This was probably one of the hardest things about leaving her work with the Avs. They’ve gotten close over the last two years, and Sadie knows how lucky she’s been having someone she enjoys being around so much at work.

“I can’t believe you’re finally leaving,” Cameron whispers, choking back tears. “It’s just… I know you’re moving onto better things, but I’m going to miss you so much.”

Sadie hugs him tightly. “I’m going to miss you too. I’m so lucky to have gotten to know you, Cameron. I know I wouldn’t have gotten this job without all of your help.”

“Stop, you’re going to make me cry,” Cameron says, voice trembling. 

Sadie sniffles before starting to cry. Cameron holds her tight before he starts crying as well. They stand there hugging each other for a few minutes before pulling back and wiping away their tears. 

“Whatever happens, I’ll always be here for you. Call me whenever, even if the phone bill costs an arm and a leg. And if I need to come beat up Tyson, just let me know,” Cameron says.

“I doubt I’ll be seeing him, so I think you’re fine,” Sadie replies, smiling a little. “I know the Raptors are in the same arena and everything, but I think I’ll manage.”

“I know you can, but it never hurts to have back-up,” Cameron says. “Well, I guess this is goodbye for now. Hope to see you around.”

“You’re not getting rid of me so easily,” Sadie snorts. “You’ll be hearing all of the gossip in no time.”

Cameron laughs a little before heading out of the office. With that over, Sadie finishes everything up, then heads back to her car. Tomorrow starts her drive to Toronto, so she rests up.

The following morning, Sadie and Jamie share a tearful goodbye before she heads out. It feels weird knowing that she’s headed to another country.

Sadie’s drive spans about three days, but it feels like a lifetime. She spends half the time feeling like she’s on cloud nine, ready to start her life over, but the other time she spends crying her heart out, scared of what’s to come. The chance to completely start fresh is as terrifying as it is exciting. There’s really no going back at this point, but Sadie knows that this wouldn’t be happening if it wasn’t supposed to be.

By the time she rolls up to her apartment complex, Sadie texts her new roommate, Rose. It was a complete miracle that she found an apartment that isn’t too far from the arena for a price that she can manage. And Rose seems like a good person from the times they’ve talked over text the last couple of weeks. Rose replies almost instantly that she’ll be down in a couple minutes to help bring Sadie’s things up.

“Sadie?” a soft voice asks.

She looks over and sees Rose hesitantly smiling. “Yeah, I’m Sadie. I’m guessing that you’re Rose?”

“Yeah, that’s me. How much stuff did you end up bringing?”

“Uh, I have a few suitcases of clothes and some other random items. It’s just… you said the apartment was mostly furnished so… yeah,” Sadie replies awkwardly.

“Yeah, still the case. Let’s see if we can do this in one go,” Rose says.

They end up needing two trips to bring up everything Sadie brought, but thankfully there was an elevator. Before unpacking, Rose offers to call for take out, something that Sadie gratefully agrees to. They spend the rest of the night hanging out and getting to know each other a bit more. Sadie knows that she’ll need a while to get used to living with someone other than Jamie, but she thinks she’ll enjoy it.

Sadie spends the next couple of days unpacking and getting used to Toronto. When Rose gets done with her work as a teacher, she shows Sadie around some of the best spots near their apartment. It’ll take a while for it to feel like home, but Sadie has a good feeling about it, especially if she has someone like Rose around to help her. 

Her first day at work feels just as overwhelming as she expected. Sadie has met so many people that she knows she won’t remember their names, and the work space is larger than she could have ever hoped for. Apparently, they share some offices with the Maple Leafs staff, which puts Sadie on edge for no real reason.

“You used to work for the Avs, didn’t you?” Lucas, who is Sadie’s supervisor, says.

“Yeah, for two years,” Sadie answers. 

“We do crossover support nights occasionally, so I might send you to some Leafs games if you don’t mind,” Lucas replies. “And whenever Leafs players come to our games and you’re there, I can put them in touch with you. If you’re okay with that, though?”

“That would be cool with me,” Sadie says weakly. “I mean, I guess I know enough to keep up with the game.”

“Well, I’ll keep that in my notes for when the season starts. Now, let’s get you set up in your office, and we can finish up all that HR paperwork.”

Sadie nods, and follows him to her office. By the end of the day, she feels completely exhausted and flops down on her bed. Despite having takeout for the last couple of nights, Sadie orders dinner for her and Rose. If tomorrow is going to be anything like today, she’ll probably need the comfort food anyways.

“So, how exhausting was the first day?” Rose inquires once she gets home, eyeing all of the takeout in the kitchen.

“Ugh, I don’t even want to talk about it. There’s so many people I’m going to have to remember the name of,” Sadie groans. “And I knew I would have more responsibility here, but I think I already got put on duty to be the liaison with the Maple Leafs.”

“You say that as if that’s a bad thing,” Rose jokes. “So many people here would kill for an opportunity like that.”

“I mean, I’m excited, but like… I guess I have a weird history with one of the players?” Sadie says.

Rose raises an eyebrow, so Sadie explains everything that happened with Tyson. Recounting all of it makes Sadie feel like it’s not all that exciting of a story, but she keeps on regardless. Just with how big her emotions felt at the time, it was a hard loss when Tyson moved, leaving so many what-ifs behind.

“So… did you move here because of him?” Rose asks.

“Not really? Like… I feel like I came here because I wanted to, but knowing that someone I knew once lives here makes the city less foreign,” Sadie explains. “That sounds… so dumb.”

“No, I get it,” Rose replies. “And I’m guessing that you didn’t tell him that you were coming here, either.”

Sadie snorts. “God no, not when we haven’t talked in so long. So I guess that’s why possibly doing stuff with the Leafs feels weird. Like the thought of running into Tyson would be so fucking weird.”

“I can imagine,” Rose sighs. “Maybe it’ll turn into the romance of the century when you find each other again.”

Sadie lets out a short laugh. “That would… definitely be a turn of events. Honestly, I don’t even know if he remembers me anymore.”

“I mean, there’s always the chance, but you could always be the one that got away that he thinks about,” Rose says, smirking a little.

“Wouldn’t that be something,” Sadie replies, rolling her eyes. “But enough about hypotheticals, how is lesson planning going?”

This launches Rose into a long rant, and they spend the rest of the night talking about lighter subjects. Listening to her talk helps distract Sadie from thinking anymore about Tyson. There’s no point in thinking about someone that isn’t in her life anymore, even if there’s a chance that they’ll see each other again in the near future.

And so the next few months are spent finding a new routine and building a new life in Toronto. There’s still days where Sadie feels completely overwhelmed, but she starts to become more confident in her decision to move. Staying in Denver would have been too much without having Jamie there to help anchor her, and Toronto has allowed her to feel like she’s found her home for quite some time.

When September rolls around, Sadie starts seeing Leafs players' faces plastered everywhere. While she completely understood that Toronto is a hockey city, she’s never quite understood what that meant until now. All of it feels a bit surreal, especially the couple of instances when she happens to see Tyson’s face somewhere. She’s not quite sure what to make of it, but she’s reassured by her coworkers and Rose that this is completely normal.

“Do you ever get used to it?” Sadie asks Lucas one day. “Because I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it.”

He snorts. “God no, although I wish I could. Sometimes I manage to forget about it, and then hockey season rolls around and I’m constantly reminded about it.”

“Good to know,” Sadie replies.

“Since we’re on the topic of hockey, how do you feel about keeping some of the Leafs players company during our opener in a few weeks? It’s a miracle that they have a day off when we’re playing and it should be documented.”

“Uh, sure, if you’re okay with that. Isn’t there someone else that normally does it?” Sadie asks.

“I mean, it was the person in your role before you, so I think you’re fine,” Lucas snorts. “Besides, you’ve worked on a hockey team before, I trust you knowing more about the game than any of us.”

Sadie blushes. “Right, of course. Makes sense.”

In the weeks and days leading up to the Raptors opening game, Sadie can feel herself stressing out over having to interact with Leafs players. Even if the chance of Tyson being at the game is small, she’s still freaking out over the possibility. She’s wondering if she should say something before coming to the realization that he might just not care anymore. They’ve stopped talking, so that has to mean something, right?

The day of the game, Lucas gives her the list of players that are going to be there so that Sadie can familiarize herself with them. As she scans the list, her heart drops when she sees ‘Tyson Barrie’ on it. She has to remind herself that nothing is likely to happen, and if something does, it’s probably just going to be an awkward ‘hi, how are you’ type of thing. But a few other big names are going to be there, like Morgan Rielly and Zach Hyman. 

Still, Sadie gets dressed up a little bit more than she normally would to go watch a game before she leaves. Rose teases her about it, but lets it slide when Sadie says that Tyson is going to be there. She gives Sadie a look, but thankfully doesn’t say anything else before Sadie heads out for the game.

Thankfully, Sadie is the first one in the box, so she gets a few minutes to try and gather herself. At least a few other players will be here tonight, so hopefully she can just talk to them and keep talking to Tyson to a minimum. Finally, she hears a group come into the box, so she stands up and turns towards them. She almost immediately makes eye contact with Tyson and freezes.

“Sadie?” Tyson asks. “I… what are you doing here?”

“Uh, I work for the Raptors now as one of the social media managers, actually. I’ve only been here a few months, though,” Sadie explains awkwardly. “But, uh yeah, I was the one put in charge of welcoming y’all here.”

“Oh, that’s cool,” Tyson replies, just as awkward.

“You two know each other? That’s pretty cool,” Morgan Rielly says. “Did you work for the Avs or something?”

“Yeah, I worked with their media and marketing team for a couple of years. So I knew Tyson only for a little while,” Sadie replies, smiling a little. “Anyways, do you mind if I get a picture of you guys in front of the court? Lucas will kill me if I don’t.”

“Oh, yeah, no worries,” Morgan says.

And so the guys huddle together and smile for the picture. Sadie nods, and lets them get settled as she posts the picture to instagram and twitter. There’s an awkward tension in the air and she knows that it’s coming from Tyson, no doubt confused about why Sadie never told him that she was moving to Toronto. In all honesty, she feels like it never needed an explanation, but she can only imagine his confusion.

“So, got any fun stories about Tyson that we might not know yet?” Zach inquires once Sadie sits down.

Sadie snorts. “Nothing too exciting, to be honest. Although I did have to keep buying candy because he came by my office far too often just to get food.”

“It wasn’t that bad!” Tyson protested, blushing deeply. “I only came by like twice a week, maybe three times if it was a bad week.”

“You were the only player to ever come by my office though,” Sadie points out.

Morgan and Zach watch this exchange with pure delight, obviously happy to get this little bit of insight into Tyson’s life with the Avs. From the way they’ve interacted with her so far, Sadie figures that Tyson never told them about the what-ifs of their relationship, which is probably for the best. The less people that know about that, the better as far as she’s concerned.

The rest of the game passes in relative ease, nobody asking any deep questions. Sadie tweets out things for most of the game, and gets a couple more pictures of the Leafs before the game is over. Tyson doesn’t say much, which Sadie is trying to figure out if she’s happy about or not. Before everyone heads out, though, he does corner her to talk.

“So, uh, I was wondering why you never said anything about moving here?” he asks quietly. 

“I just… didn’t feel like it needed to be said. We haven’t talked in over a year, Tyson. We’ve been out of each other's lives for a while now,” Sadie explains.

Tyson frowns a little. “I regret that so much. There’s just… so much I wish I could have changed looking back on it.”

“No point in worrying over it,” Sadie says. “It’s already over, anyways.”

Before Tyson can say anything else, Zach and Morgan are asking him to hurry up. Tyson sighs, and then waves awkwardly as he walks out of the box. Sadie groans, and then starts to gather up her things. While this could have been a lot worse, the whole interaction was still awkward. In a way, Sadie felt like she didn’t know how to interact with Tyson anymore.

Two years is a long time, and gives someone plenty of space to become a new person. There’s a small part of Sadie that wants to pick things right where they left everything, but she knows that’s unrealistic. And even if by some miracle, they end up talking again, they’ll have to relearn each other as the people they’ve become recently.

When Sadie gets home, she flops on the couch and vents to Rose about the whole night, despite not much actually happening. She can just tell that she’ll get completely caught up in her emotions and what-ifs that’ll probably never even happen if she doesn’t talk it out. Rose patiently listens as Sadie lets it all out, including some old anger that had been pent up ever since Tyson left.

“I just hate that he can still make me feel like this, even after a short conversation,” Sadie complains. “God, can that even be classified as a conversation?”

“Seems to me that you still kind of like him,” Rose says softly. “I mean, if you really didn’t care, I don’t think you would be getting so worked up over this.”

Sadie snorts. “You’re probably right. But I’m sure he’s moved on, like it’s been two whole years now. There’s no way he’s not in a relationship right now.”

“You could… always ask?” Rose suggests. “It wouldn’t hurt.”

“I’m most definitely not looking that desperate,” Sadie says. “We’ve only just reconnected tonight, and I don’t even know if you can call it that.”

“Well, you’re probably going to be seeing more of him, right? Like, especially if he comes to more games in the future,” Rosie points out.

“He probably won’t come knowing that I’m there, though.”

“But you never know. Just… give it time, okay?”

Sadie sighs. “Fine.”

She doesn’t hear from Tyson that night, and it’s probably for the best since she wouldn’t know how to respond. When Lucas swings by Sadie’s office the next morning, he can definitely tell that something is up. She sighs, knowing that she’s going to have to fill him in on everything that happened.

“Did one of them say something shitty to you last night? If so, I can get them barred from the games, or at least sitting in the box with you,” Lucas says.

“No, no, it’s not that,” Sadie replies weakly. “It’s just… I know one of the players from when I worked on the Avs and things ended weirdly when he was traded to the Leafs.”

“Weirdly as in like… badly?”

“We just left a lot on the table, I guess. A lot of things were left unsaid and then we stopped talking. Last night was the first time I spoke to him in over a year.”

“I don’t want to make light of this because that sounds like… a lot, but this is something straight out of a movie.”

Sadie snorts. “You’re not wrong. Not sure if there’s going to be much of a happy ending, though.”

“Can’t blame you for that. But are you going to be okay if this player comes back for any future games? I don’t want to put you in a weird spot.”

“No, Tyson is a good guy. He wouldn’t do anything bad. I just think it was a shock seeing me again, I guess. Not that I blame him.”

“You never told him that you were moving here?”

Sadie shrugs. “Never saw a point, if I’m being honest. Might have been a wrong move on my part, but it’s too late to change that.”

“Well, as long as things are going to be okay, no point in regretting things we never did,” Lucas replies. “Just keep me in the loop if anything changes.”

“Of course,” Sadie says.

When Sadie checks her phone during her lunch break, she sees a text from Tyson asking if she wants to talk. She freezes, and stares at the text, unsure of how to reply. It’s probably nothing, he might just want to know why she moved to Toronto. Which would be a valid question on his part, she’s just not sure how to reply at first.

Sighing, she ends up replying,  _ yeah, we can. I’m just at work right now, so maybe tonight?? _

**Works for me :) just let me know when a good time is!!!**

This feels surreal, and she immediately texts Jamie telling them about everything. Jamie ends up immediately calling her without question, obviously wanting the details. Sadie picks up, even though her lunch break ends soon.

“So, are you like… actually okay with reconnecting with him?” Jamie inquires, in lieu of a greeting.

“I mean, I guess I am. And I’ll be seeing him enough that it would be weird not to,” Sadie answers. “In a way, it’ll be nice to get some closure, like I know it’s natural for people to fall out of touch with each other, but…”

“Look, if things don’t go well, then it doesn’t go well. But I think just knowing that you took the chance would be good.”

“You’re right, I know you are. It’s just scary.”

“It is, but you’ll be better for it. Keep me updated, okay?”

“Of course I will,” Sadie replies before hanging up.

When Sadie gets home from work, she texts Tyson to call her whenever he’s free. Rose can tell something is up, but she lets Sadie pace around the apartment until Tyson calls. When he does, Sadie rushes off to her room, and picks up immediately. 

“Hey,” Sadie greets softly. “Um, I’m glad you called.”

“Of course I did,” Tyson replies. “It’s just… I have so many questions.”

Sadie laughs a little. “Yeah, I can imagine. Feel free to ask whatever. I’ll answer as best I can.”

“I mean, I guess the most obvious is why did you move here?”

“Jamie had to move back to Seattle by the end of August because of family, so I was losing a roommate and my best friend in Denver all in one go. I know I had a good gig with the Avs and had work friends, but there really wasn’t anyone keeping me there,” Sadie explains. “And I got lucky when the Raptors hired me.”

“You didn’t move here because of me, right?”

Sadie snorts. “God no. If I did, I would have called you.”

“That… makes a lot of sense,” Tyson replies, sighing. “But you never told me.”

“We haven’t talked in ages, Tyson. I didn’t feel like I owed you that information.”

It’s quiet for a few moments as he processes what Sadie just said. It feels weird having told Tyson that to his face, but it’s the reality of the situation, even if she doesn’t like it. As much as she wants him back in her life, Sadie feels like she needs to be honest about why she never said anything.

“And I guess I was scared, too,” Sadie whispers. “I mean, we haven’t talked in over a year and I feel like at that point, we weren’t friends anymore. So even if I had wanted to tell you, I was under no illusion that you would have cared.”

“I would have cared,” Tyson says softly. “I  _ do _ care, actually. I’ve spent the last two years wondering how I could have made everything different between us. I was so scared about fucking things up that I just let our friendship end.”

“It wasn’t just on you, though. I stopped reaching out to you too.”

“But I stopped replying as much and ignored messages. All because I didn’t want to lose you and could never fathom asking you to do a long-distance relationship. Or god forbid, ask you to move to Toronto to be with me.”

Sadie laughs, holding back tears. “I would have done it, Tyson. Without question. You were worth it to me.”

“And now?” Tyson murmurs.

“I still think you’re worth it. I wouldn’t be talking to you now if I didn’t think you and our relationship were worth it.”

“I… well, that’s good. Because I feel the same.”

Sadie smiles a little. “That’s good.”

“So, uh, how do you feel about catching up some time? Just as friends? I feel like there’s so much we need to talk about in person.”

“Yeah, I can do that.”

Over the next few weeks, Sadie and Tyson slowly start to rebuild their friendship. It’s awkward at first as they figure out how to interact with each other again. The longer they hang out, though, the more Sadie’s feelings for him start to emerge. There’s moments where she thinks about saying something, but she doesn’t want to lose Tyson again. So, she just keeps her mouth shut, content with staying friends.

“You should really say something,” Rose says when Sadie brings it up. “I know that you just got him back, but it’s important to be honest. And I mean… he reached out to you, didn’t he? Even after all this time, he still remembered you.”

Sadie groans. “I know you’re right, but I’m just scared. The thought of being rejected is terrifying.”

“If he rejects you, then he does. But something tells me that he won’t. Just think about it, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Sadie sighs.

She knows that Rose is right. There’s the chance to solve the what-if’s she’s had for so long now. Besides, it’s not like it’ll be hard to avoid each other if things get weird, even if their work overlaps a little bit. Toronto is a big city, and it won’t be hard to get lost in. Sadie decides that the next time they hang out, she’ll say something, otherwise she’ll just lose any confidence she manages to build up.

Thankfully, the next time they hang out is a simple movie night in Tyson’s apartment. They decide to watch Miracle, mainly because it was the first movie they ever watched together, she keeps thinking about what to say, and gets so caught up in her own thoughts that she barely notices when the credits start rolling.

“You doing okay there, Sadie? You’ve been kind of zoning out,” Tyson comments. 

“Um, yeah, I was just thinking about something,” Sadie replies.

“Care to share with the class?” Tyson jokes.

Sadie takes a deep breath and looks at Tyson. “You can tell me to stop whenever, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about since we started hanging out again. I just… my feelings are the same as when you left Denver. I care for you so much and I want to give it a chance, but  — ”

She’s cut off by Tyson kissing her, which catches her off-guard for a moment. When her brain finally catches up, she kisses back just as deeply, her hands falling to his shoulders. Sadie loses track of all time, getting caught up in the soft exchange of kisses. Tyson finally pulls back slightly, smiling softly. 

“I take that as you feeling the same way?” Sadie whispers.

Tyson laughs softly. “Yeah, it does. I’ve been wanting to say something, but wasn’t sure how. So, uh, thank you for taking the leap.”

“Of course I did. It’s you.”

Tyson kisses her again before saying, “I won’t ever lose you again, I promise. You’re going to be stuck with me forever.”

“That sounds… really nice. I think I could live with that.”

**TWO YEARS LATER**

“I’m so fucking tired,” Sadie groans, flopping down on the bed.

Tyson snorts. “I’m honestly amazed that you managed to carry that many books up here.”

“It’s worth it, though,” Sadie whispers, smiling.

Tyson smiles back and cuddles up with her on the bed. After a few months of deliberation and talking, Sadie agreed to move in with Tyson. It was something that she was hesitant about at first, but after realizing that she spent more time in his apartment than at her’s, it wasn’t too hard of a decision to make. The following weeks had been a frenzy of trying to pack everything and move it all to Tyson’s place.

“It feels good to have you here,” Tyson says softly. “Like I know that you were here before, but knowing that we’re going to start building a life together...it feels different.”

Sadie smiles. “I get what you mean. No more running off to another country, okay? I know I followed you once, but that was a stressful experience that I never want to repeat again.”

“What, I thought you liked it?” Tyson jokes.

“God, it was one of the most chaotic moments I can remember. Trying to figure out the legal stuff was the worst. I don’t know if I can take it again.”

“Well, I’ll do my best to not get traded anytime soon then,” Tyson says with a smile.

Sadie rolls her eyes. “I really appreciate the effort.”

The rest of the night passes easily, as the end up ordering take out and watching a cheesy rom-com on Netflix. Over the next few days, Sadie unpacks the last few boxes she’s been putting off opening. It feels weird finally living with Tyson and knowing that they’re headed towards having a forever type of relationship.

Not that she’s upset by the thought of spending forever with him, but Sadie feels like she’s finally allowing herself to believe in that. In the early part of their relationship, they spent a lot of time trying to reassure each other that being together is what they wanted. Allowing themselves to be happy with each other was something foreign, something they put off for the sake of Sadie’s career. But now they truly have nothing holding them back from just enjoying being together.

As the next few weeks pass, Sadie and Tyson navigate living together full-time and readjust to each other's routines. The times where he’s gone on roadies for days feel harder to deal with now that Sadie doesn’t have the option to stay with Rose. It feels lonelier without someone to spend the nights with. She feels dumb bringing it up, fully knowing what she was getting herself into. But Sadie breaks down one night, confessing her feelings.

“It’s just… I know you’re going to be gone a lot,” Sadie explains. “I still miss you, though.”

“Babe,” Tyson says sadly, kissing her softly. “I miss you so much when I’m gone. There’s moments where I think you won’t be here when I get back. Those two years I spent without you were horrible. But together forever, right?”

“Yeah, together forever,” Sadie whispers.

Tyson kisses her again, holding her tightly. Any time Sadie feels like she’s getting in her head too much, she makes sure to bring it up. And on occasion, Tyson will send her a text while he’s on a roadie, asking if she’s doing okay. However, over the next few weeks, Sadie notices that Tyson is taking longer to get home from practice and is spending more time on his phone. But she doesn’t say anything, knowing that it’s probably nothing and she’s overthinking it all. If anything over the last couple of years have taught her, it’s that Tyson would tell her if anything was wrong.

Eventually, she brings it up to Jamie, unable to keep it to herself anymore. Sadie trusts Jamie enough to help keep her calm, as well as be honest about what they think is happening. And they would never say anything to Tyson about this conversation as well.

“Do you think it’s some weird hockey ritual?” Jamie inquires. “I mean, this is your first time properly living with him, so you could have missed it before.”

“I mean… I guess? But he’s on his phone all the time and I swear he’s taking longer to come back from practice,” Sadie explains. “And I feel like I’m going crazy and I probably am because none of that is really suspicious, if I’m being honest. Like, I shouldn’t even be worried.”

“And you really shouldn’t be,” Jamie says reassuringly. “Like, this is Tyson Barrie we’re talking about. The dude is head over heels in love with you, I really doubt it means much of anything. Maybe he’s planning a prank on one of his teammates or something. And we all know that you're shit at keeping secrets.”

“Oh, well, you’re not wrong there,” Sadie replies. “Thanks for getting me out of my head a little. I know whatever it is, it’s probably nothing.”

“I promise it’s nothing,” Jamie says. “Anyways, isn’t it almost midnight there? What are you still doing up?”

“I can’t sleep,” Jamie whispers. 

“Let me guess… Tyson isn’t there,” Jamie replies, laughing a little.

Sadie sighs. “I really hate you sometimes. But you’re right, I should be going to bed. I’ll talk to you later.”

After hanging up, Sadie lays down in bed and reassures herself that Tyson is just planning something dumb. He’s one of the older guys on the team now, so he’s been helping out a lot with the rookies this last season. Part of helping out is pranking them on occasion, and with how much the rookies come over, it makes sense why Tyson never said anything. She’s sure he’ll fill her in as soon as possible.

As the days pass, Sadie forgets her concerns as she gets tied up in filming more content for the Raptors social media accounts for the holiday season. Her days grow longer as she fits them around when players are available for filming. And before she knows it, there’s only a week and a half before Christmas, which means Tyson’s short time off is closer. It’s rare that they get to spend so much time together during the season without having to worry about work.

One night, Sadie comes into Tyson making dinner, which isn’t a completely odd sight, but when she sees that the table is set with their nice kitchenware, she gets a little suspicious. She doesn’t doubt his cooking ability, but she racks her brain of what he cooks that’s fancy enough to warrant this. 

“Did I forget something special?” Sadie inquires, after setting down her work bag. 

“No, I just felt like doing something nice for you. You’ve had a lot of long days recently,” Tyson explains, shrugging. “Besides, it’s either been you cooking or ordering take out, so I figured that it was my turn.”

Sadie smiles softly. “Well, this is nice. Do I get to know what you’re making or is that a surprise too?”

“It’s a surprise. Go change into something comfy and it should be finished by then.

Sadie smiles softly and then heads off to their room to change. By the time she comes out, Tyson is setting the food on the table. It’s in a dutch oven, so she can only assume that it’s some type of fancy stew, which she definitely won’t complain about when it’s so cold outside

“Seems like you did a good job so far,” Sadie comments. “This smells amazing.”

“I think I did an okay job,” Tyson replies. “It’s nothing fancy, but it’s a lentil and chorizo soup. Considering it’s my first time making it, I think I pulled it off.”

“Well, I’ll be the judge of that,” Sadie jokes, grabbing the ladle.

The soup turns out to be amazing, leaving Sadie duly impressed. When she tells Tyson, he smiles softly and blushes. Conversation is easy, as it normally is, mostly talking about the antics the Raptors are getting up to while filming. Something interesting happens every day, which makes the long days worth it.

Before Sadie can grab her bowl and put it in the dishwasher, Tyson blurts out, “Um, wait a minute. I, uh, wanted to talk to you about something.”

Sadie raises an eyebrow. “Should I be sitting down for this?”

“Um… maybe?” Tyson replies just as uncertain.

So, she sits back down, and is confused when Tyson comes to sit in the chair next to her. Something was going on, and she could feel the nerves racing through her.

“The last two years together have been the most amazing years of my life and I wouldn’t change a thing,” Tyson says softly. “Everyday, I am so grateful that you came to Toronto so that we could end up here. I love you so much, and I can’t bear the thought of losing you. And so, uh, I was wondering if you would marry me?”

Tyson slides down onto his knees and pulls out a beautiful ring. Sadie starts crying before she can even think to form a response.

“Is… is that a yes?” Tyson asks quietly. 

“Yes, of course that’s a yes, Tyson,” Sadie sobs. “I love you so much, you idiot.”

Tyson lets out a surprised laugh and slips the ring onto her finger, before standing up, and pulling Sadie in for a deep kiss. Eventually, they just stand there, holding each other and swaying. It’s been a long time since Sadie has felt so content and happy with her life, but she knows that things are only going to get better. Whatever happens next, she knows that as long as she has Tyson by her side, everything will work out just fine.

_ “I will love you forever; whatever happens. Until I die and after I die, and when I find my way out of the land of the dead, I’ll drift about forever, all my atoms, until I find you again.” _

_ —Phillip Pullman from “The Amber Spyglass” _


End file.
